Mail-transferring apparatus.



W. H. WHITE.

-MAIL TRANSFERRING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19. I9I6.

2 SHEE'ISSHEET I.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY w. H. WHITE. MAIL TRAN SFERRING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-19.1916.

Patented Apr. 23,1918;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY WILLIAM H. 'VVI-IIEIFEL OF HOLMES, NEW YORK.

MAIL-TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 23, 1910 Application filed August 19, 1916. Serial No. 115,834.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holmes, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Transferring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail transferring apparatus, and is designed particularly for use in connection with railway mail service for causing the transfer of mail between a rapidly moving car and a fixed crane at the side of the track.

The principal object of the invention is to provide both the mail car and the track crane each with receiving and delivering arms having devices on the extended ends thereof of simple construction and positive action for insuring the positive transfer of mail sacks from one to the other of said devices, the receiving arm of one cooperating with the delivery arm of the other to insure the transfer of the mail sack in the proper direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a crane on a mail car upon which are supported the receiving arm and the delivery arm and which crane is adapted to be moved transversely of the car to cause the projection of said arm from the door opening on either side. I

A further object of the invention is to provide the delivery arm both of the car apparatus and the track crane with a similar mechanism for holding a mail sack until it is to be delivered, and then releasing the same without trouble and danger of being caught or hung on the delivery arm; also to provide receiving devices on the proper arms of the car apparatus and track crane that will catch and hold the mail sacks as they are presented thereto by the delivery arm and lock said sacks against accidental displacement after they have been received by the proper member.

Other objects of invention not hereinbefore set forth will be described more in detail in the following specification, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation looking in the di-' rection of a moving train with both the car crane and track crane in adjustable position, the former crane being mounted upon a car and the latter shown carried at the side of the track,

Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the terminal mechanism on the sack delivery arm.

In the drawings 10 indicates a mail car having a door-way 11 on one side and a like doorway 12 opening on the other side of the car opposite the doorway 11. Fastened at the top of the car 10 and extending transversely from side to side thereof is a track 13 along which a bracket 1 1 is adapted to travel. A similar track 15 is secured to the bottom of the car vertically below the track 13 and over this track 15 a bracket 16 slides. Between the brackets 14 and 16 is a vertical standard 17, the ends of said standard being pivotally mounted in the brackets to permit rotation about a vertical axis. Secured to the top of the standard 17 just below the bracket 14: is an arm 18 that projects when in operative position outwardly through the doorway of the car in a horizontal direction. This arm is supported and held rigid by a brace 19 secured to said arm and to the stand ard 17. Under the arm 19 is a like arm 20 also fastened to the standard 17 and held in firm position by a brace 21. The upper arm 18 serves to carry the sack delivery mechanism 22, while the arm 20 is provided with the sack receiving mechanism 23.

Between the arms 18 and 20 and projecting in a direction opposite thereto is a bearing bracket 24: that extends a short distance from the standard and has fulcrumed in its outer end a lever 25, on the shorter end of which is pivoted a locking rod 26 that extends downwardly through a rearwardly projecting portion of the arm 20, the brace 21 and lower bracket 16, the end of said rod normally engaging with a notch 27 or 28 in the bottom rail 15. The opposite or longer end of the lever 25 is furnished with an op erating handle 29, while pivoted to said end is a second locking rod 30 that extends upwardly through the rearward projection of arm 18 and bracket 14;, the end of said rod engaging a notch 31 or 32 in the upper rail 13. Surrounding one or the other locking rods 26 or 30, here shown as being applied to 'rod 26, is a spring 33 that bears at one end against the arm 20 and at its other end against a collar 34 fixed on therod 26, said spring tending normally to hold the rods 26 and 3 0 in engagement with the notches in the rails 13 and 15.

As'shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the delivering and receiving arms on the car crane are projeeted through the doorway at the right of the car and are held in such-position by the locking rods 26 and which as will be seen pass through .the rear ends of arms 18 and 20 and brackets 14 and 16 to engage the notches 27'and 31 of the upper and lower rails. By this means the standard 17 is prevented from rotating in the brackets and at the same time said brackets are locked from moving endwise on the rails. After passing the station and receiving and delivering such mail sacks as are to be collected and delivered at said station, the mail agent depresses the handle 29 a suliicient' distance to disengage the ends of the rods 26 and 30- from the notches in the rails 13 15, whereupon the crane is drawn toward the center of the car suificiently far to permit the sacks which were collected to be removed from the arm 20 and other sacks to be delivered to be attached to the arm 18. If, however, it is desired to swing the crane entirelywithin the car or to project it through the door-Way 12 on the opposite side of the car, the handle 29 is depressed farther to withdraw the ends of the rods 26 and 30, from the brackets 14 and 16, whereupon the standard 17 is free to be rotated-upon its bearings in said brackets and the. arms may be swung into the car or around to the other side so that further movementof the, bracket toward the door 12 will project the arms 18 and .20 through said doo -way, after which the crane is locked in position on the opposite side of the car by engaging thev 1'ods'26 and 30 with the notches 28 and 32.

Situated atthe side of a railway track at a suitable distance from the track is a stationary crane which comprises a base 36 bolted to a tie or other means 37'' cured in the ground and a vertical post or standard 37 pivotally mounted in said base zontal slot 41, the slots being opposite each other, The delivering arm as shown in Fig.

2 does not extend more than half way across the plates 40, thus leaving a clear space between the plates for the insertion of a ring 42 attached to each mail sack 43. On the outer side of one of the plates is fixed a horizontal bearing 44 to which is pivoted a swinging lever 45 having at one end a V shaped finger 46 that normally extends through the two notches 41 and across the space therebetween being drawn into this position by the spring 47. The opposite end of the arm 45 terminates in a handle 48 by means of which the lever is moved to withdraw the finger 46 from. the slots and permit the insertion between the plates of the ring 42, which upon being so placed is held suspended from the delivering mech anism by the finger 46. The inclination on the inner edge of the finger 46 is such that outward pulling of the ring 42 will cause the lcverw45 to move outwardly and release the ring and the sack 43 attached thereto. This delivering mechanism shown and described as attached to the arm 18 is also mounted upon the end of the arm 39 on the track crane 35. The receiving mechanism 23 is shown more clearly as attached to the track crane in Fig. 2 and consists of two extensions 49 projecting in opposite direction and at right angles to the collecting arm 39. These extensions each terminate with a latch end 50, the operating side of which latch is beveled as at 51 and ends inwardly with a shoulder 52 at right angles to the extensions 49 to form a seat for a locking lever 53 pivoted to a long bracket member 54 bolted to the receiving arm 39. The locking lever 53 and bracket 54 engage the latch end on the opposite side of the arm 39, said levers 53 being normally held in engagement with the shoulder 52 by spiral springs 55 connected to said levers and to the arm 39.

When the receiving mechanism is set to collect a mail sack from a. moving train, the ends of the lever 53 will be held against the shoulder 52 as shown by the spring 55 so that upon approach of the car with a sack suspended fromthe delivering mechanism 22, the ring 42 of said sack will. he pi-ojeci'eil a suiiicient distance to pass over the extension'49- and striking the lever 53 draw downwardly sutliciently far to prevent the ring slipping past said lever whereupon it will return to position against the shoulder 52 and locking the mail sacks suspended from the extension 49 which as the car passes has drawn the ring 42 from the finger 4b of the delivering apparatus 22 carried by the car.

T he arm 20 on the track crane is equipped. with a receiving mechanism 23 similar to that described, and effects a transferring of mail from the arm 39 on the track crane in like manner. The ring 42 from which the sack 43 is suspended is maintained in a position' shown in Fig. l'until released from the mechanism 22 by a lug 56 on the edge of said ring that bears upon the outer extremity of the delivering arm 18 or 89; the inner surface of said ring engaging the finger 46 holds said rings suspended in the manner shown until the receiving mechanism engages and withdraws it by a quick pull from between the plates 40.

The standard 37 of the track crane may, when desired, be swung away from the track by depressing a lever 57 pivotally connected by means of a link 58 with the base 36, said lever being connected in a well known manner to a clutch member 59 having lugs 60 on its under side that engage notches in an upstanding hub 61 on the engaged from the notches and the stand-.

ard 37 may be turned around into the desired position and locked by releasing the handle and permitting the clutch member to again engage the notches.

What I claim is:

1. In a mail transferring apparatus, an upper and a lower rail secured to a car, a bracket slidably mounted on each rail, a standard having its terminals each fixed into one of the said brackets for permitting movement of the standard transversely of the car when the said brackets are moved on the track, a bearing bracket fixed intermediate the ends of the standard and laterally projecting therefrom, the outer end of the said bearing bracket carrying a lever, each of the said sliding brackets having openings therein, a pair of locking rods having their ends projecting through the said opening, each of the tracks being provided with notches for the reception of the said locking rods, and means for simultaneously operatmg the locking rods for engaging and disengaging them with the said notches.

'2. In a mail transferring apparatus, an upper and lower rail secured to a car, a bracket slidably mounted on each rail, a

I standard having its terminals each fixed into one of said brackets for permitting movement of the standard transversely of the car when the said brackets are moved on the track, a bearing bracket fixed intermediate the ends of the standard and laterally projecting therefrom, the outer end of the said bearing bracket carrying a lever, each of the said sliding brackets having openings therein, a pair of locking rods having their ends projecting through the said opening, each of the tracks being provided with notches for the reception of the said locking rods, a lever pivotally mounted on the said bearing bracket and connected to the said locking rods for causing simultaneous movement of the locking rods when the lever is actuated, and tensioning means for normally holding the said rods in engagement with their respective notches in the tracks.

3. In a mail transferring apparatus, an upper'and lower rail secured to a car, a bracket slidably mounted on each rail, a standard having itsterminals each fixed into one of said brackets for permitting movement of the standard transversely of the car when the said brackets are moved on the track, a bearing bracket fixed intermediate the ends of the standard and laterally projecting therefrom, the outer end of thesaid bearing bracket carrying a lever,

each of the said sliding brackets having openings therein, a pair of locking rods having their ends projecting through the said opening, each of the tracks being provided with notches for the reception of the said locking rods, a lever pivotally mounted on the said bearing bracket and connected to the said locking rods for causing simultaneous movement of the locking rods when the lever is actuated, and tensioning means for normally holding the said rods in engagement with their respective notches in the tracks, mail bag retaining means supported by the said standard and including superposed arms having one end fixed'to the said standard and the terminal projecting slightly beyond the same within the car, the said terminal being provided with andopening for receiving the said locking r0 4;. In a mail transferring apparatus, an upper and a lower rail secured to the car and extending transversely thereof, a bracket slidable longitudinally upon each of said rails, a vertical standard pivotally mounted in said bracket, mail bag receiving and delivering arms secured to said standard and projecting horizontally therefrom, delivering and collecting mechanism on said arms, and a locking mechanism mounted on said standard and means to lock said brackets to said rails to prevent movement of the transferring apparatus across the car and also rotation of said standard in the brackets, including simultaneously movable locking rods projecting through said brackets and adapted to normally engage said rail, the latter being provided with notches for the reception of the locking rods.

5. In a mail transferring apparatus, an upper and a lower rail secured to the car and extending transversely thereof, a bracket slidable on each of said rails, a vertical standard pivotally mounted at its ends in said bracket, a horizontal mail sack delivering arm rigidly secured to said standard, a mail sack receiving arm also secured firmly to said standard, longitudinally mov- 1 able locking bars adapted to securethe same In testimony whereof I aifix my signature against rotary movement on said brackets in presence of two Witnesses.

and ecure said brackets against movement WILLIAM H. -WHITE. on the rails, and means for retracting said Witnesses:

locking bars to permit rotation of the stand- GEORGE B. GRIFFETH, J12,

ard and movement of said brackets. JOSHUA GRIFFETH.

Genie: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

